


Rex and Fido

by EzraTheBlue



Series: FFXV Halloween Shorties [2]
Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Alternate Universe - Werecreatures, Full Moon, Hellhounds, Implied Relationships, M/M, Mild Blood, Shapeshifting, Supernatural Elements
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-27
Updated: 2019-10-27
Packaged: 2021-01-04 05:11:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,871
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21192116
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EzraTheBlue/pseuds/EzraTheBlue
Summary: After a Shield died without an heir, his King pleaded with the Gods to give his Shield back to continue the Amicitia lineage.Ifrit obliged.FFXV Halloween Week Days 2 and 3 - Supernatural/Full Moon/Werewolves





	1. Rex and Fido

**Rex and Fido**

**1\. Heel**

"Come." Noctis isn't confident in the words coming out of his mouth, and trembled as his voice echoed back at him out of the cave. His father smiled with a mixture of fondness and reassurance as Noctis looked up to him.

"Don't worry, son. You're thirteen now, this is your birthright and his, too."

The cave in the deepest basement of the Citadel, well below the bedrock and maybe even digging into the mantle of Eos, was perhaps the greatest secret of Lucis' royalty. The Amicitia line had been with the Lucis Caelums for as long as there had been a royal family, but a twist of fate and a final blessing from Ifrit a century ago had changed the shape of what that bloodline loyalty meant. Noctis had turned thirteen and reached the age where he was to meet his shield, and while he'd heard the rumors, he didn't know for certain what he would face.

"I'm here," he tried again, and this time, footsteps echoed back to him. 

He knew Clarus Amicitia, sharp-eyed and sharp-jawed, the keen way he glowered at any man who came close to Regis without his say-so. He trod forward, tall and long, then bowed to Regis. "Highness. Majesty." He hesitated, then huffed out a sharp whuff of breath. "He's stubborn. The change isn't coming as easily as it ought to."

Regis laughed. "Takes after his mother, does he?" He slapped Noctis on the back. "Call him again. Be firm, now. Remember, you will be his King. You may need to inspire his loyalty."

Noctis swallowed, and faced the mouth of the cave again, dark and foreboding. There was the distant echo of a growl, then heavy, padding thumps of approaching footfalls. Noctis heard them pick up speed, and his heart raced. He stumbled a step back, certain he was about to be trampled, but Regis braced a hand on his shoulder.

"You must face him, Noctis. His fidelity must be earned!" 

Noctis grimaced, then stood his ground, digging his heels in. "YIELD," he demanded, as firm and loud as he could, and squeezed his eyes shut tight.

He felt a rush of hot wind from the depths, then hot breath on his collar. The rushing footfalls skidded to a halt. Noctis held his breath a second longer, then dared to open an eye.

A hulking black dog, taller at the shoulders than his own father, with pointed ears and a massive head and a mouth full of pointed teeth that could swallow him in two bites, lumbered in front of him, head bowed, golden eyes glaring right down at him. He rippled with muscle from shoulder to flank; his tail was flexed back and rigid. Hot, fetid _ dog breath _ rolled over Noctis' face as the hellhound panted roughly across him. Noctis managed to look him in the face, then patted his nose. "Good boy," he said, voice rough and thick, and he heard a snarl that came out more like a laugh:

_ "Who's the boy here?" _

There was a shift in the shadows, and the black shape of the hound twisted into a man on all fours, then a teenage boy still a head and a half taller than Noctis, musclebound and limber. He grinned with all of his teeth. "Name's Gladiolus, baby Prince."

Noctis set his shoulders back. "Noctis." He put some authority in the word, then offered, "Noct, for short."

"Noct," Gladiolus repeated, rolling the name off his tongue and over all of his teeth. They still looked too sharp, his eyes still gleamed golden. "Fine, then. You wanted me?"

Noctis swallowed heavily. He had and hadn't known what to expect of his Shield, because legends couldn't put everything into words. The tale was told that a Shield died and left no heirs. The King of the epoch had prayed to Ifrit to give his son, his Prince, a Shield to defend him. Ifrit heeded his plea and returned the King's Shield as one of his: a hellhound. The Shield could shift into a man, but it was a borrowed form, not his own.

Such was the line of Amicitia. Every Shield since had been a hellhound, larger than life, breathing fire, teeth like steel knives. Even Gladiolus would sleep more naturally as a beast than as a man. Now, however, he stood and rose on two limber, muscular legs clad in ragged pants, and looked Noctis straight in the eye, entreating an answer.

"Gladiolus." Noctis strained to sound like the King he would be, to command like he would a faithful hound. "I ask you to be my Shield."

The animal glint was still in his gaze. However, he slowly, slowly lowered to take a knee. "Alright, Highness. We got some work to do." He held a hand out, and Noctis took it. "I'll be your Shield." He turned Noctis' palm over and bit his wrist. Noctis flinched as a thin stream of blood ran down his hand to his fingers, and Gladiolus licked it off. "I'm yours."

Noctis took a shuddering breath, and Regis patted him on the back. The bond had been forged. The loyalty would be earned, broken in, like a man taming a dog, or a dog learning to respect his master.


	2. Come

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> On the road, Gladio meets his need to hunt the only way he can. Noctis can only beckon him to come back.
> 
> Day 3: Full Moon

**2: Come**

The nights when the moon hung heavy and bloated against the inky expanse of black sky were the hardest. Noctis held his breath and pretended to sleep like he always did as the night turned to day. Gladio's slot in the tent, right next to his, had been left cold since sundown, or maybe since moonrise. Ignis and Prompto were both familiar enough with the ritual not to ask too many questions, but when Gladio left for his monthly walkabout, Noctis would wake like his lingering pain so often would and find himself unable to sleep again without Gladio snuggling softly at his side. Ignis woke first to find Noctis seated on the edge of the haven cliff, looking off into the middle distance where the moon still sank under the horizon. 

"Awaiting Gladio's return?"

Noctis hummed noncommittally; the question was unnecessary. Ignis knew how Noctis felt about Gladio's monthly walkabout. It had been easier to meet Gladio's needs in the Crown City. He could be set loose in his den, running through the tunnels under the Citadel, forbidden ground for all but the Amicitia clan, and tear up the daemons that lurked in the darkness.

Now that they were far from home, Gladio sated his need to hunt in the wild. 

"He's never been seriously injured on any of his previous hunts," Ignis remarked over the clatter of setting the camp stove up to prepare breakfast. "I'm certain he'll be back soon."

Noctis hummed again. The moon vanished beneath the horizon.

Noctis had seen him run in this direction, the forced change claiming him and twisting him from a man into a dog. He'd bounded off, howling, the cords of his muscles flexing, taut and beautiful. He was a graceful creature, in a way, sleek black fur and white teeth. Even as he ran in the night to sate his need to hunt, he was gorgeous. 

Noctis needed to see him. He needed to see him again. 

Prompto woke, yawning obnoxiously, and Noctis soon began to smell breakfast. What he didn't smell was dog breath, leather, sweat, and blood, and that was becoming more concerning. He stood. "I'm going. Back soon."

"You want me to go with, Noct?" Prompto whipped his head around from where he sat, and Noctis shook his head.

"I got this." He tromped down the rock slope to the forest floor and ventured forth into the misty terrain. He had a feeling he knew what was wrong, and if he was right, Prompto wouldn't be much help. Ignis, either - he might have known what Gladio was and had seen flashes of it, but he'd never been exposed to it in full. 

Noctis could hear the growling the further he walked, then the sporadic rustling of leaves, then the faint wet noise of flesh against dirt. He sucked in a breath like he always did when he was about to face Gladio's reality.

There was a roar, then a series of furious snaps and impacts, and Noctis stepped forward to see the ten-foot tall black hellhound that was Gladio, forcibly transformed by moonlight, thrashing a Spiracorn around by the neck, then throwing it to the ground and lunging in to tear out its heart. 

Noctis watched white teeth split and rend flesh, grimacing as Gladio's mouth was painted red. "Hard to change back again?" He asked, loud enough to be heard over Gladio's rampage.

Gladio ceased tearing at the carcass all at once, whipping around on Noctis and baring all of his blood-painted teeth. Noctis clenched his fists and stood firm. "Heel." He stomped his foot, and Gladio lunged.

He galloped towards Noctis. Noctis wouldn't move. Instead, he glared up into Gladio's face. "I said heel!" 

Gladio skidded to a halt, panting heavily. Noctis could see him sagging, limp and weak, exhausted from a night on the hunt. His fangs dripped fresh, sticky blood into steaming puddles on the ground. The instinct still seized him in the daylight, but the sun would start to burn him soon unless he could take his human skin again. Noctis controlled his breathing, then patted Gladio's nose. 

"Moon's down, big guy. Let's wind down."

Gladio grunted as Noctis patted his nose, then sidled close to rub his broad, muscular shoulders. He shushed him a few times, making little nonsense noises like he would at a dog who'd been frightened by thunder, and worked Gladio's enormous head onto his shoulder to wrap his arms around his meaty neck. "Come back to me." 

He patted Gladio a few more times, until he felt his whole body twist, the muscles shifting unnaturally, and then, Gladio was against him, blood smeared on his lips and in his beard. His chin sank to Noctis' shoulder, and Noctis hushed him and smoothed down his hair. Gladio notched his chin in Noctis' neck, sagging against him, and Noctis held him, let him rest there, then rubbed his cheek to Gladio's with no care for the sticky blood drying in his beard. "Good. That's good. Good boy."

Noctis felt Gladio's chest shudder against his, then heard soft, low, rolling laughter. "Pretty sure you're still more of a  _ boy _ than I ever was." Noctis stood back to see Gladio licking some of the blood off of his mouth. However, he smiled fondly at Noctis. "Thanks for. Y'know."

"Yeah." It didn't need to be spoken. Such was the bond between King and loyal Shield. Noctis needed Gladio to protect him. Gladio needed Noctis sometimes so he could keep being himself.

"Let's get back." Gladio backed away from Noct and trudged for the haven. "I probably ought'a wash my face first. Iggy and Prompto'll flip if they see me like this."

"Yeah," Noct affirmed, watching Gladio leave and wondering if he was back to his normal self, or if he'd just torn Gladio from being what he was meant to be to subdue him into being his Shield again.

* * *


End file.
